10.2190/7D2U-E22C-0GJB-72T1 7D2UE22C0GJB72T1 0 EGALITARIAN WAGE STRUCTURES AND THE PUBLIC SECTOR IN BRITAIN 20020509 20020509 20020509 20020509 http://baywood.metapress.com/link.asp?target=contribution&id=7D2UE22C0GJB72T1 4 P. B. BEAUMONT This article investigates the egalitarian wage structure hypothesis which contends that manual and lower level non-manual workers in the public sector are overcompensated compared to their private sector counterparts, while for upper level executives, managers and professionals the opposite position holds true. The data base employed is a specially prepared set of wage tabulations for Britain. Although the preliminary nature of the findings is stressed, the apparent lack of support for the hypothesis would appear to case some doubt on the notion that such a wage structure is inherent in the nature of the public sector wage determination process.